


Heart of Glass

by LigeiaMaloy



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Depression, Drama, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, Kissing, M/M, Pre-Canon, Romance, Sick Character, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Swearing, Wire Play
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-10-01
Packaged: 2018-08-19 00:50:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8182567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LigeiaMaloy/pseuds/LigeiaMaloy
Summary: In a canon-divergent reality, Jesse McCree is 20 years old when he chooses Blackwatch instead of prison. He struggles with discipline and has the time of his life defying and provoking the commander in charge of the recruits, Gabriel Reyes. He is close to changing his mind about joining Blackwatch on his first day but is convinced to stay when he is charmed by the laugh of the strangest guy he has ever caught a glimpse of. His fascination grows as Jesse doesn't see him again, his curiosity is fueled by Reyes who dodges every question about who Jesse starts to believe is either a phantom or a dirty secret of Blackwatch. But his name wouldn't be Jesse McCree if he didn't figure out the truth. A lonely truth named Genji, saved by a medical experiment that keeps him closer to death than life.





	1. Prolog

**Author's Note:**

> So... a McGenji-fic... this had to happen. 
> 
> The prolog is strongly inspired by a scene from the spaghetti western "A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe". I re-watched the movie recently and around 1h 15min in, everything screamed "That's so young McCree vs. Reyes!", I had to rewrite the scene but couldn't resist to sneak in a Genji. From there, well. I have no excuses. 
> 
> I'm not sure if this qualifies as an AU, but here's the list of the most important changes from canon:
> 
> \- Jesse is 20 when he joins Blackwatch  
> \- Genji is 20 as well and in the same base where Jesse is trained to become a Blackwatch agent  
> \- Genji is alive but his new body doesn't adapt to the changes as planned, he's far from being the swift cyborg ninja he's supposed to be  
> \- all this happens in a base in the Tabernes Desert in Spain because I'm a useless spaghetti western fangirl
> 
> Well... I don't have much more to say except I hope you'll find this enjoyable, despite the silly beginning.

“The next four weeks you’ll do as I say. You’ll sleep when I tell you, eat when I tell you and breathe when I tell you! You’ll only speak when I ask you and you’ll call me Sir when you do! Understood?” Commander Gabriel Reyes eyed the poor lot in front of him. Four young men between seventeen and twenty-two, one more run-down than the other. Every single one of them had a crime record thick as a book but if all was said and done, they were small fry. Kids without perspectives or nothing better to do hoping for adventure and a quick dime. And their share of fame, having their pictures titled ‘most wanted’ was better than nothing. 

Reyes glared into the five faces. Scruff, dirt, shifty or bored eyes. Pulled down corners of the mouth not speaking of fear, just of the hope that this would be over soon. He walked up and down in front of them, letting the silence between them do its work. Either they tensed up or became too relaxed, either way, the next time he raised his voice would make them jump, that was all that counted.  _ ‘Remember, despite everything, they’re just kids,  _ Morrison had told him when he handed Reyes the files. Kids! No, these guys weren ’t kids and he wasn’t a babysitter. 

“You! Why are you smoking!” he barked at the youngest who had the guts to light a cigarette and take a deep pull. 

“Because I’m a smoker. Sir.” The guy suddenly stiffed and forgot to remove the cigarette from between his lips. Reyes picked it from his mouth, threw it into the sand and stepped on it. 

“Not anymore. I don’t allow any bullshit in this squad! No drinking, no smoking, no gambling. My job is to turn you into men, into worthy agents of Blackwatch, fighters for justice.” Fancy talk for canon fodder. He doubted that any of this scum had something to add to the elite ranks of Overwatch’s special force unit. Their job was to do the dirty work in the name of Good where rules and laws bound the clean image of Overwatch. He needed smart operatives, men and women who stood behind the ideas they were fighting for and nerves strong enough to handle the sometimes, well, direct approach. These kids, though? What was Morrison thinking when he came up with this Misguided Talents Rehabilitation Program? Okay, Morrison was one of those men who always believed in the good in people, good for him. _He_ should be standing here, patting those overblown little egos into submission if he believed so much in them instead of putting him, Gabriel Reyes, leader of Blackwatch, in charge of his pet project. What a waste of time! 

“I don’t want to hear complaints or whining. When I punch your faces and ask if it hurts, all you’ll say is ‘No, Sir, a member of Blackwatch doesn’t feel pain’! When I tell you to-” He continued shouting demands, making his speech up as it went along. He was still pacing up and down, his heavy steps putting weight to his words, his tall, rigid posture demanding respect and attention. Everything about him screamed _elite combat soldier_ and the sooner these boys grasped that the better - for them. 

A noise behind him interrupted him. Did the guy he just walked past dared to yawn?! 

“Who was that!” He planted himself in front of the suspect, his dark eyes glowering down on him. Oh, he had heard of this one! Jesse McCree, twenty years old, a former member of the Deadlock Gang, a group of reckless, violent smugglers. He ripped the ridiculous cowboy hat from his head, revealing a short mess of brown, wavy hair. 

“And doesn’t even know how to shave,” Reyes snorted. The pathetic attempt of a full beard covered the young face with uneven stubbles. The mockery didn’t impress the brat, he kept up the silly grin. Reyes wasn’t sure if he was brave or foolish. Well, only one way to test it. Without a warning, he punched the youth into the stomach. 

“Ugh…” The grin disappeared as Jesse doubled over. 

“Did this hurt, McCree?”

“No…” Jesse hissed through his teeth.

“And why not?”

“Because a member of Blackwatch doesn’t feel pain.” Jesse shook his head, took a deep breath and straightened his back. His cocky eyes met Reyes’ glare.

“SIR!”

“Nah, just call me Jesse and we’re good.” The grin was back, wider than before. Reyes inhaled sharply, his fist aching to punch this little jerk’s face. No, he wouldn’t lose his temper. Not in front of his new recruits on the first day. He couldn’t let this impertinence slide either, though. 

“Does this hurt?” The side of his hand shot down between McCree’s throat and his shoulder, right on the muscle. McCree’s breath left him in form of a whistle while he went down on his knees. 

“No,” he croaked.

“Why not?” 

“Because I’m not a fucking wimp, _Sir!_ _”_ Between his gasps for air, his voice sounded like the yelp of a dog. 

“You have guts, I give you that much. Let’s see if this makes or breaks you here.” He turned on his heel, not quite accidentally whirling sand into McCree’s face. He walked back at the other end of the line. 

“Everyone! Left face, and back to the main barrack! You’ll receive your uniforms. They’re your new skin but I expect you to treat it better! Change, return right here. You have ten minutes!” To his satisfaction, the small group turned around like one man and fell into a strict march. Excellent. Maybe there was hope for them after all. And hope for him that his time with this riffraff wouldn’t become his third layer of hell. 

Just when he was about to use the few minutes he had to return to his office, one figure broke out of the rhythm and strolled across the yard. McCree.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Reyes fell into a run a fragment of a second before Jesse. The youth dashed towards the main gate, finding it locked. Jumping around, he was facing an angry Reyes coming towards him, whose face only darkened when he realized Jesse was still grinning. 

Jesse ducked when a hand grabbed for him. He dived down, out of Reyes ’ reach, rolled over the sand and landed back on his feet. Swiftly, he darted across the yard. The remaining four recruits were staring after Jesse, unable to decide what to do next - follow Reyes’ order, or follow the crazy guy and risking to be caught by Reyes. 

“What are you looking at? Move and catch him!” Reyes shouted at them. A jolt went through all for of them and they set themselves in motion. As former low-ranking members of gangs and larger crime organizations, they were used to run for their lives and freedom. They were young and quick, but Jesse seemed to see this whole chase as a game.

“Not today, buddy,” he taunted a scrawny small guy who almost got him. He dodged a fist, pulled off his jacket as he was running and hurled it into his pursuer’s face. “Now ya havin’ a chance with the ladies!” Jesse laughed back over his shoulder and turned around just in time to throw his body around before he ran into Reyes’ hands. This time, he miscalculated and his sidestep ended at the several feet high fence surrounding the small base. He crashed into the fence and was cornered before he could swing around. 

“I should call your parole officer and get you into prison. Right after breaking every bone in your body!” Reyes huffed and he hated it. He was fit and in excellent shape but this exercise came unexpected and with anger, a combination making it hard to maintain the healthy breathing rhythm needed for endurance. Oh yes, this kid’s guts would definitely break him, Reyes’ would make sure of that. 

“Don’t bother, I see myself out.” Chuckling, Jesse leaped at a guy a head smaller than him, the sudden movement startling the poor man, letting him forget to dodge. Jesse’s knee buried in his stomach, the guy went down and McCree jumped over him. Sweat was running down his face, sand covered his boots and pants and was sticking to his skin but that damn grin didn’t go away. With a few wide steps, he reached a nearby flagpole, jumped at it and nimbly climbed it with almost inhuman speed. 

“You come down here at once!” Reyes shouted. He and the other recruits gathered around the pole. Jesse had already reached the top. The Overwatch banner was waving above him while he looked down. 

“Don’t think you can jerk me around like this, you damn brat!” 

“Sorry, thought that was fitting for a premium jerk like you!” Jesse laughed back at him, waving. 

“This premium jerk’s cutting you down like the rotten tree you are. Johanson! Get me a saw!” To Reyes’ dismay, the commotion hadn’t remained unnoticed. Several Blackwatch agents were leaning against the office door, chuckling and nudging each other as they watched one of the recruits fooling their grim leader. 

“Yes, Sir!” A tall blond man saluted, still shaking with laughter, and hurried towards the tool shed. He was smart enough to not let Reyes wait longer than necessary. He was in a foul mood already and working with him wouldn’t be fun for the next few days. But this once in a lifetime show was too good to be ignored.

He was back with a chainsaw within two minutes, interrupting the exchange of insults between Reyes and who was going to be his new favorite recruit. 

“About time.” Reyes snatched the chainsaw from Johanson’s hands and started it. 

“Wait! Stop! No! You can’t do that!” Jesse yelled, clinging to the pole and his dear life. 

“Are you coming down?” Reyes stopped the chainsaw and indeed, Jesse slid down. 

“Yes, of course, Sir. Whatever you want, Sir.” Half way down, he stopped. “Damn, yer not getting prettier… fuck this! Freedom! Here I come!” Within seconds, he was back at the top. Reyes was tempted to just start the chainsaw and hurl it up at him, hoping he wouldn’t miss.

“That’s it. You’re going down, McCree!” 

“No! Nooo! Sir, you can’t just cut off a man’s pole, how’s he supposed to call himself a man?!” Jesse’s begging and pleading came too late. The saw howled through the wood, cutting it in no time. 

“Nooo, I’m too pretty to die!” The pole fell, and Jesse along with it but Reyes’ triumph was short-lived. With a supple leap, Jesse abandoned the pole. His body crashed into the fence but instead of falling down he was hanging from the top of the fence - his hands had grabbed the edge. 

“Don’t you dare!” 

“Sorry, Sir Jerk! But the call of freedom is too strong!” Jesse pulled himself up and straddled the fence. His hands clenched his shirt above his heart, the back of his other hand touched his forehead in a dramatic gesture.

“Idiot, you’ll die in the desert!” This was one of the reasons why the Blackwatch training base had been built in one of Spain’s deserts. They weren’t easy to find and those recruits who accepted a deal to dodge prison couldn’t easily run away. Reyes hadn’t thought they’d have to pick up one of these crooks on the first day, though. Great, he was not looking forward to the next discussion with Mr. Jack Over-idealistic Morrison. 

“The ultimate freedom. How poetic.” Jesse suddenly wasn’t in a hurry anymore. He had won this battle and enjoyed the attention and the banter, enraging Reyes only more. 

“You! Get out and catch him before he gets away! I’m not wasting gasoline or any other resources on this idiot!” This wasn’t what he had signed up for when he founded Blackwatch but he would be damned if he didn’t get his revenge for this humiliation. 

“Hey, who’s that?” Jesse’s sudden change from taunting to genuine curiosity confused Reyes for a second. He looked back up at him and followed the direction Jesse was pointing it. 

“Well, if this isn’t Frankenstein’s monster,” Reyes whistled, his hand running through his short, black hair. 

The group of Blackwatch agents had dissolved, hunting for weapons - and probably a first aid kit, bless their hearts. At the entrance to the office building, where they crowded before, stood a short figure, leaning against the wall for support. His built was human but even from far away, he looked differently. His body seemed to lack human skin, part of his arms, legs and torso were covered with metallic plates. His most normal feature was his face, yet, even that stuck out for its scars and unhealthy, grayish color. The rest of his head was covered in metal. 

His laugh, however, was human. He was trembling with laughter until his knees were shaking. Without the wall behind him, he ’d fall. 

“HEY! WHAT’S YOUR NAME?” Jesse shouted down and across the yard, waving his arms.

“Genji! What are you doing out here?!” a new voice answered. It belonged to a blond woman who came out of the building. “Please, don’t scare me like this! You shouldn’t be out of bed yet. Quick, let's go back. I have to check if everything is alright.” She took his face between her hands, checking his eyes. He tried to reply but she was talking him down, a whirl of worry, concern and scolding gushing over him. 

“Dr. Ziegler, I suggest you keep an eye on your experiments. The last thing I need is another troublemaker.” Reyes’ frown reached new depths, making his eyes almost disappear.

“And I suggest, you wait until you have your troublemakers under control before you lecture me about my bedside manners,” she replied with the sweetest smile. One arm slipped around her patient’s shoulders, she steered him towards the door. “Come, please. We don’t want to let the last weeks go to waste, don’t we?” Before they disappeared trough the door, the strange guy turned around. Chuckling, he held his thumb up in Jesse’s direction. Then he followed Dr. Ziegler inside.

Reyes glared after them. He shouldn ’t have agreed to this. To this delinquent-project, to built a training base in the desert, around one of Overwatch’s ethically questionable secret: Dr. Angela Ziegler’s lab. He was not looking forward to training that thing. 

“Ain’t that a sweet piece of ass.” 

Somebody patted his shoulder in a most friendly manner. Reyes jerked around, holding his breath before he let it out as a growl. Jesse McCree.

“Weirdo with a nice butt and a sweet sense of humor. I think I might stay after all. No hard feelings. What do you say, Reyes, old friend?” 

What did he say? What did he have to say? To this obnoxious, insolent asshole of a brat who dared to still grin at him?

“One hundred! Now! Fifty laps after that and after that, one hundred more!” He grabbed Jesse by his ear and dragged him into the dirt.

“Can I have my hat back first - okay, okay,” he hurried to say when Reyes’ lifted his boot and aimed for his face. “One hundred, you said, right?” 

 

 


	2. Jesse vs Commander Reyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse is getting used to his new life in his own way, with a little help from Commander Reyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Less silly, but still silly. 
> 
> I'm btw horribly sick (aka: got a mild cold) while uploading the prolog and the first two chapters so I guarantee for nothing.

Beans. The third evening in a row. Beans, potatoes, bread. Well, at least the food was decent. Jesse spread butter on another slice of soft bread before he wiped it over his almost empty plate. Reyes had gloated over them, how their meals would be humble until they had earned variety and meat. The joke was on him. Fresh, hot, and second helpings if they were still hungry. Beat cold left-overs, cheap fast food, and the occasional nothing.

“Do they know what happened to you after they caught you? What if they try to get you out of prison and hear you switched sides?” the guy across the table asked. A mousy little dude, pasty face, missing front teeth. Probably a story he was proud about, would explain why he smiled so often. So far, nobody had done him the favor to ask how he lost them. His name was Renard and Jesse kinda liked him. He had an interesting habit of slipping the interesting questions into all the other bullshit he was talking.

“The Deadlock Gang? I wonder. Would like to see their faces if they saw me here.” Truth was, Jesse suspected the few who were still on the loose were regrouping somewhere, far away from Route 66. Get caught, get lost, was their number one rule which was one reason why he chose to accept the deal to join Blackwatch. Otherwise, he would rot in prison for sure, there was no chance in hell anyone of his old friends would bother with breaking him out. A sad truth, after all, they had been through for so many years. At least they also wouldn’t figure out he wasn’t in jail at all because he switched sides.

Life here wasn’t the worst. Chewing on buttery bread soaked with spicy sauce, he let his gaze wander from the other recruits. The shady division, as they called themselves with a wink. Most kids were okay - everyone younger than him was a kid. Poor chaps, tragic backstories, many dead parents, everyone hoping for the chance to become the tragic, misunderstood hero. Jesse McCree was the second oldest, which already disqualified him as the unannounced leader of their lot, but that was fine with him. A guy named Steven was the oldest with his 22 years. A con man and smuggler, good with words, sneaky like a fox and equally smart. But also hoping for a reunion with his girlfriend and daughter one day, the main prospect that had sweetened the deal. Steven was alright, calm, polite, smooth and slick like an eel. Jesse could picture him living with his family in a nice house, paid from his salary as an insurance salesman. Would fit a man with his talents and the name Steven.

“Heard some of the regulars are planning a movie night. Wanna join, too?” Renard nodded at the tables on the other side of the canteen. The ‘regulars’ were the agents of Blackwatch, skilled experts in combat, sabotage, and technology who had always been on the right path. They weren’t allowed to mingle with them yet. Jesse looked through the strategy some of the others called bullying. It was all about baits and privileges. Better food, casual clothes outside official hours, laughing together, planning missions and leisure time together. Like Jesse, most of the other recruits used to work for gangs at one point in their life and even though he had always been aware that he’d be on his own if he screwed up, the gang had always felt like a safety network. Communication, inside jokes, high fives or patting each other's back when one of the high ranking members had kicked their asses for some reason or the other.

In a gang, there was structure, community. Without that, it was easy to become lonely and this threat of loneliness was working against them.

“Sure, why not.” Yes, he fell for the strategy and he hated it, but hanging out with a gang again and having a good time simply sounded nice. As long as they fed him here, he didn’t mind postponing his own investigations to another night.

“McCree!”

“Hell, no, what does he want now…”

“There’s your reason why not.” Renard and Steven both snickered. Hurrying to grab their dinner trays, they escaped Commander Reyes before he got the idea to bother them as well.

“Get up, there’s work waiting for you!” Reyes was standing behind him. Jesse thought he was feeling Reyes’ hot, angry breath in his neck. He definitely felt the commander’s glare drill holes into the back of his head when he reached for another slice of bread.

“I’m not done eating. Ain’t letting good beans go to waste.” He couldn’t help it. Reyes made it too easy to piss him off. If he kicked Jesse out, so what? He could have escaped on his first day here if he wanted to, he’d do so again if he felt like it. Until then, he’d enjoy the food and maybe solve a mystery or two. He still hadn’t found a sign of the reason why he decided to stay for now. There was a good chance this weird guy had left the base or would be a bore to talk to if he found him but he had stepped between Jesse and freedom, for that alone he owed Jesse a conversation.

“You’ve had three full plates and ate enough bread for a whole company. Time to work some of that off. And that’s still Sir for you! Get moving, brat!”

“Yeah, yeah, in a min- hey!” Reyes grabbed him by his ear, twisted it and pulled him up. “Stop that! Ow! Dammit, I’m no kid!” Protesting and squirming against Reyes’ grip, Jesse was dragged across the canteen. Those agents still present interrupted their chatter, chuckling as they watched the spectacle. Little power struggles between Commander Reyes and Recruit McCree had become the norm during the last few days and were always fun to observe. Reyes kept the upper hand, refusing to let a rookie outsmart him or get away with sass yet Jesse refused to stop trying. More than one of those who had known Reyes for years assumed that if Jesse gave in, Reyes would be disappointed.

A moment later, Jesse was standing in the shower room.

“Come on, Reyes, you’re kidding. I cleaned this damn place four times already. In two days!” A wet sponge hit him in his face, leaving water dripping from his features as it dropped to the floor.

“That’s ‘Commander Reyes, Sir’ for you. Here. Toilets are next.” Reyes shoved a bucket heavy with water against Jesse.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. You’re still pissed caused I made a fool of you, Sir.” Grinning, Jesse picked up the sponge, dipped it into the water and began to wash the tiled wall. “Let’s assume I deserved this crappy special treatment. Lemme clean something that’s not already spotless. How ‘bout the building across the yard? Bet there’s some shitty toilets in need of a pro cleaning service.”

“Less talking, more scrubbing. And forget about that building already. You won’t set a foot into it unless the other is hanging on a bloody string.” His arms crossed, Reyes was standing in the door, watching Jesse work.

“Yeah, ‘cause sayin’ it like that every time I ask ain’t getting me more curious at all. What’s hidden there? Eh? Must be interesting. Or illegal. Which would also be interesting.” He wrung out the sponge and continued inside the first shower cabin. He kept cleaning, hurrying from the first cabin to the second, from there to the third, careful not to do a sloppy job. He tried that the first evening and had to start all over. He was grateful though for the warm water. Reyes was an asshole all right but at least he wasn’t a sadistic asshole.

Jesse wondered how far he could go before Reyes kicked him out of the program. Some of the leaders of the Deadlock Gang were less patient, for half the things Jesse had said here his former bosses would have ended his existence. Either with a bullet in the head or his body chained to the train tracks, all depending on temper and the individual level of sadism.

Working for the gang since he was a child, he had quickly learned to value the voices of reason and his survival instinct. Now they were whispering to him, telling him that this Reyes-guy wasn’t so bad and that he, Jesse, acted up like a little shit, so he shouldn’t be surprised to be treated like a little shit. He refused to listen. Accepting this as the truth would mean he was beginning to respect Commander Reyes. He wasn’t ready for that.

“Ya know, when you’re planning to stand there, ya might as well tell me more ‘bout this place. _Sir,_ _”_ he added, forcing the word up his throat like a cat throwing up a hairball. “Got some good eyes in this head, Reyes. Know what I saw.” He was almost done with the fourth cabin. His hands grabbed the edge of one of the walls and he pulled himself up. His feet dangling in the air, he looked down at Reyes. “Why don’t ya tell me ‘bout that guy? Looked like some kind of omnic but those things don’t laugh like that. Who’s he? Is he one of you guys, or your prisoner or what?”

“You better ask Dr. Ziegler about that.”

“The pretty blond angel, yeah? Would do so.” Jesse let go of the wall and dropped back to the floor. “But she’s never in the canteen or common room. How can I talk to her when ya don’t let me into the other building?” his voice echoed from inside the cabin.

“Well, guess it sucks to be you then. Hurry on. The sooner you’re done the sooner you can join your buddies.”

“Yeah, yeah. Funny.” Six more cabins to go and he’d be done with the first shower room. Like Reyes would let him off the hook before the lights went out. And the toilets were still waiting for him, something he wasn’t looking forward to. Well, maybe, when he did a quick, thorough job he could bargain with Reyes, another shower room instead of the restrooms. Or he offered to clean restrooms and showers in exchange for more information.

At least Reyes wasn’t trying anymore to brush Jesse’s sighting off as his imagination. A doctor shutting herself into the sick bay, lab or whatever that other building was supposed to be. A strange guy, oddly human and yet not, he hadn’t seen a second time and everybody avoided talking about. Reyes, being all clammed up when asked about him, avoiding to look at Jesse and quick to change the topic. Damn, the weirdo with the pretty ass was becoming the more intriguing the less he learned about him. There was some dirty business surrounding him and Jesse was determined to figure it out.

*

The base consisted of four main parts surrounded by the high fence. The first part everybody who entered set their foot on was the yard. It was used for training. Running, hand-to-hand combat - everything involving a body without requiring soundproof walls or a gym. Looking from the entrance, at the other end of the base, were the supply sheds where weapons, equipment, and provisions were stored, less exciting but still important. _The Other Building_ , as Jesse was calling it, was to the right and the smallest. Here, the secrets happened. The main building was to the left. Here, Jesse slept, ate, was lectured in one of two conference rooms or was punished by cleaning any of the necessary facilities. One stairway led down to the basement with its gym and a splendid shooting range.

A short second stairway led to the sleeping quarters. The dry wood creaked under heavy boots, yet Jesse didn’t bother with tiptoeing his way upstairs - he swore his bones were creaking louder anyway. “Fuck you, Jesse, you’re an idiot. Falling for the oldest trick in the world,” he groaned, rolling his shoulders. Reyes had agreed to bargain with him. The restrooms plus the second shower room in exchange for information.

“Good work,” Reyes had praised him when he was done, even smiled. At this point, Jesse should have become suspicious. “Now, let met tell you about Dr. Ziegler. She’s an expert on nanobiology. She published her work in different science papers, you can look them up online. If you stay long enough to earn yourself internet access.” Reyes grin widened. “She is an experienced field medic, trained in medicine and combat. So when she kicks your ass she’ll put a band-aid on it. Better stay out of her business. There you go. Good night, Recruit McCree.” He turned around, his head thrown back as he laughed, and walked away. Jesse, shaking with growing rage, stormed after him.

“Stop yanking me around, damn bastard. That’s it? You promised me some good information ‘bout the other building!”

“It’s her realm, deal fulfilled. And trust me, the information is good. For your health. Specify your conditions next time. So long, McCree.”

“Bastard. Motherfucker. Fucking cheat.” Jesse was still growling after his shower and on his way to his bed. He had been fooled like a bloody greenhorn. He had pulled similar tricks like this so often in his life, he hardly believed he had run into this trap, with open eyes and arms.

“Look who’s there. How was your date with Reyes? Damn, princess, you look like he gave you a good boning,” Steve greeted him with a smirk, raising his glass. He and the other recruits were sitting between the bunk beds on the floor, playing cards and drinking. God knew where they got the bottle of whiskey. Maybe one of the agents had taken pity on them. They seemed like a nice bunch, mocking them for their early bedtime in good humor. He hated it. Scrubbing toilets and squabbling with Reyes was half as humiliating as being sent to bed at 11pm, like little boys. All for discipline and order, as Reyes insisted.

“Haha, funny.” Jesse stepped over the pile of cards, stumbling over Steve’s leg - an accident, of course. The cheap whiskey went the wrong way, turning Steve’s chuckle into a coughing fit.

“Is that asthma or passion? You need a doc? Guess the pretty lady can help you with both.”

“Go and suck Satan’s dick in hell, Jesse!”

“Rather his than yours.”

“Guys, if you wanna fight, do it outside. Ain’t getting in any trouble with Mr. Reyes because of you,” Lucas spoke up. He was the walking cliche of a bulky guy with a dangerous looking face who just wanted to be left alone. Sunken eyes and a burn scar covering half of his face, he looked a decade older than the eighteen years he was. He rivaled Reyes in size, less muscular, though, and what he had extra in mass he lacked in spine. Jesse had called him his favorite jellyfish in honest friendly affection but it had hurt Lucas’ feelings. It was a miracle this guy lived a life in crime. He didn’t belong among criminals and he also didn’t belong here. Lucas was a good guy and Jesse, still having no clue what skill exactly had qualified him for the deal, hoped he wouldn’t end as canon fodder.

“Wanna join us, Jesse?”

“Nah, thanks, Lucas. I’m callin’ it a night and hit the pillow.” He climbed up the ladder to his bad. He was about to let himself fall onto the mattress but halted. His hat was lying on his pillow; he picked it up, turning it between his hands. While they didn’t have permission to wear them, they were allowed to keep their personal clothes. A good old Stetson, wide brim, pinched crease, they didn’t make them like this anymore. It had been a gift when he had been still so small it slipped over his eyes and since then, they only parted during showers. Even when he was asleep, one hand was always resting on his hat. Without it covering his unruly hair, Jesse felt naked. Of course he had tried to defy the rule, putting it back on faster than Reyes could rip it off. He knew he had lost the battle when Reyes threatened to burn it. Sometimes, one had to suffer in order to save a good friend from a cruel dead.

Dust covered it, the brown leather torn in some places and stained from dirt, but all over all, it was still in a good condition, ready to be put where it belonged and to seek adventures.

“Where ya goin’ now?” Renard called after him. Jesse turned around, his brown eyes gleaming and he grinned.

“Out, hunting a phantom.”

 


	3. 2. Stealth and Steel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world is different at night. For some, the world is always different than Jesse's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer. That's it for tonight. I'm nervous. Will anyone like the prolog enough to read even on? Will anyone like this chapter enough to look forward to the next? Is this any good? When does admitting concern pass the fine line between insecurity and fishing for compliments? I honestly don't know but hey, it was fun to write, that's something.
> 
> Will be continued soon, although there's no fixed rhythm. Gah, I should say more, something sensible, but I need my bed -_-

During the day, the yard was small, a wooden cage for humans and Jesse wanted to scream, every fiber in his body demanded freedom. Breaking through the fence, climbing it, blowing it up, anything, as long as he got out of here.  
  
The night painted a surreal picture ignorant of the laws of physics. The path across the yard, from one building complex to the other was twice as long when Jesse was standing still and seemed to grow with every step he took. A heartbeat and inhaling the chill night air filled the space between the walls, giving it life. The silence of the world outside the base was pushing against the fence. Dark and endless, it was denying the existence of human souls anywhere on the other side of the fence. A far away and lifeless sky didn’t bother with one man walking on earth, threatening him with the weight of insignificant existence.  
  
A cage during the day, the fence was protection at night, sheltering Jesse from becoming lost in an empty world under an indifferent firmament.  
  
He needed more than a fence to protect him from Reyes’ scorn if he was caught. Sneaking outside was the easy part. At first, Jesse had pressed his back against the wall from the main building. His plan was to move along the fence around the base while the shadows concealed his movements for any unconcerned eye.  
  
Time, however, was working against him.  
  
He listened. With the quietness outside, any human chatter close by a window or door should be loud enough as if he was standing in the same room, or so he hoped.  
  
Nothing. Followed by nothing.  
  
He counted to ten, waiting for footsteps or Reyes angrily yelling his name. Neither happened. He bolted. The noise of sand under his soles was deafening, loud enough to alert every remaining Deadlock member still dwelling on Route 66 in the States. Let alone everyone in the base.  
  
He reached the other building unnoticed.  
  
He closed his eyes, waiting for the adrenaline rush to die down.  
  
_Dammit, Jesse. Stop acting like you ran a marathon, chased by the cops_. By the time he opened his eyes again, the world had shrunken back to its normal proportions. The building across the yard was a quick jog away, it was night, the air cool enough so he didn’t even sweat, and the wind whistled around the fence while animals howled and shrieked on the other side.  
  
He shoved closer to the door. From his pocket, he pulled a set of keys, an involuntary gift from Reyes. Jesse grinned while he tried one key after the other. What did Reyes expect, leaving the door to his room unlocked and the keys on the desk? He might as well have opened the door for Jesse himself.  
  
He turned the fourth key. The lock clicked. He opened the door wide enough for him to slip inside and closed it.  
  
The keys back in his pocket, Jesse was standing in a dark corridor. A few steps ahead was another door to his right but he didn’t bother with it. It never was this easy.  
  
His boots were heavy on the polished, metallic floor, his steps echoed from the walls. He halted. With his boots, he was faster if he had to run away. Without them, it was less likely to be caught. He slipped out of them and his socks. The floor was cold under his bare feet.  
  
There was a second door with a sign he deciphered as _Office_ in the darkness. Uninteresting. So far, this building’s layout was similar to the main one with its long corridor and doors leading to different rooms, only on a smaller scale.  
  
At the end was the stairway. Jesse was relieved it wasn’t made of wood. Wood was noisy. He shuddered when he put a foot on the first step. There was no noise, there was no warmth. The stairway in the main building was annoying and alive, this was quiet and dead. He didn’t like this place.  
  
He reached the door on the top, finding it unlocked.  
  
He was standing in what looked like a small foyer. It was cozier than what he had seen downstairs so far. There was a carpet in the middle, a few plants were standing in the corners, pictures added color to the gray walls. A pleasant image, destroyed by a smell biting in his nose. Cleaning alcohol with a hint of camphor, like they used it in hospitals.  
  
So this was some kind of hospital wing or med bay after all. Good to know it was there, hopefully, he’d never need to stay here. Hospitals were depressing and reeked of death where the cleaning alcohol wasn’t strong enough.  
  
He’d have laughed at himself and this childish notion if it hadn’t been for Reyes’ reactions. Why making such a big secret of a med bay? Why was the doctor in charge isolating herself here? He had never liked horror movies, they made him feel like stepping into one whenever a place was supposed to be nothing worse but weird.  
  
Well, he hadn’t come this far to chicken out. He’d have lied if he said he didn’t hope to find anything strange but he’d prefer it if his discoveries wouldn’t end with his head in a jar.  
  
The only door led - into another corridor.  
  
_So disappointed._ He had no idea what he had expected but this was becoming repetitive. He walked on, squinting against the darkness. There wasn’t another stairway so if there was something interesting in this building it had to be on this floor. Keeping his breathing flat, he checked the signs on the doors. Examination room. Storage. Lab II.  
  
Lab II? Had he missed the first? No, he hadn’t overlooked any doors. Jesse sighed. So this floor wasn’t the end of his investigation, if he wanted the full truth, he had to find Lab I. It wasn’t here, it wasn’t on the ground floor that meant there had to be a basement. Great, now this was really turning into a horror movie.  
  
But first, there were two more doors to identify. He paused in front of the next one, pressing his ear against it.  
  
He hadn’t heard wrong. A soft humming came from inside, like a large fan or a small engine, the kind of consistent humming only growing inside a head, turning into swarms of mosquitoes or wasps buzzing between the walls of his skull. The smell of sanitizer was unbearable.  
  
His heart was hammering against his chest, a shudder crept down his spine and so Jesse’s instincts were telling him he had found what he was looking for. He looked to his left and right. He was still alone and this was the only door with a dim light shining through the crack at the bottom. If he was unlucky, he would run into the doctor behind this door. If Reyes had been telling the truth about her, Jesse wouldn’t leave the infirmary once she was done with him. Which should give him more time and opportunity to snoop around here.  
  
With nothing to lose, he pushed down the handle.  
  
The room itself was pitch black. Small white lights flashed over small monitors, the contrast blinding his eyes. He stepped inside, blinking while he closed the door, as he tried to make out shapes and objects. He hadn’t come this far to fall over a piece of furniture.  
  
“Who are you?”  
  
Jesse gasped as a voice suddenly cut through the silence, realizing he had been holding his breath.  
  
“You aren’t Dr. Ziegler. Who are you?” The hoarse voice spoke with an accent Jesse couldn’t place. The subtle concern was hardly notable behind the curiosity.  
  
“I…” He - what? Was this the moment to introduce himself? To whom? Who the fuck was talking?  
  
“The light switch, next to the door. But be warned. You might not like what you see.” The curiosity faded into bitter resignation. Jesse’s hand fumbled over the wall until his fingers hit the small switch. Light flickered from the ceiling, bright, and for a moment he was blind again.  
  
Slowly, his eyes were adjusting. This room made him sick. Hospital rooms were bad enough as they were, with their white walls. This was like the inside of a metallic cube. Straight walls, gray steel, no windows, the sharp alcoholic smell. This was too clean, too sterile for anything to live in here.  
  
Aside from a table and a chair, there was only one bed. Wires connected the monitors to the body lying in it. Numbers and shapes were running over the screens. Jesse recognized only one. The regular line of a heartbeat.  
  
“Sorry, I can’t greet you. Come closer.”  
  
“Um, sure.” There was no scream for help, no threats, no calls for the doctor so this was good, wasn’t it? He walked up to the bed, swearing the quicker successions of heartbeats on that damn monitor was reflecting his own.  
  
“Holy fuck…” This was the guy! Or whatever this was. He had the shape of a human, but this wasn’t a human body. There were the lines and shapes of muscles without skin but they weren’t organic. Fine hands weren’t made of flesh and bones, the joints of the fingers were mechanical, lying still on the blanket. This was… a machine or an obscure doll, maybe both.  
  
With the face of a human, framed with metal if it was the only thing holding it together. The skin under a web of scars was ashen with a sickish yellow tint. Eyes of the color of steel were staring up at him. It was like they were the only thing alive in this room. This wasn’t an ugly face, the features beneath the scars even were handsome. But he looked unpleasantly sick.  
  
“Dammit, what have they done to you?!” Horror filled Jesse when he noticed the straps. They were everywhere, holding his arms, wrists, hands and leg down. Chest, stomach, hips - one even ran across his forehead, restraining him from even the slightest movements.  
  
“I get ya outta here, don’t worry.” His own hands trembling, he tried to loosen the one around the left wrist. So he had stepped into a horror movie and the big secret of the hospital wing was a prisoner for their sick experiments.  
  
“No! Wait, stop! It’s okay! You’ll kill me!”  
  
Jesse’s hands jerked away and he jumped back, his face pale. This was too much.  
  
“I… I better go… sorry. Just pretend I was never here, okay?” He backed away, his hand reaching behind him, hoping he’d soon touch the door.  
  
“No! Wait, please, don’t leave!” The desperation in his voice made Jesse stop. Hesitant what to do, he stood in the middle of the room. The line on the heart monitor was picking up, mirroring how upset this strange creature was. “You’re the guy from the yard. It was you who mocked the commander! It was the funniest thing I’ve seen in… in a while!”  
  
“Well, yeah.” Jesse shoved his hat back, scratching his head. A sheepish grin appeared on his face. “Saw you there that day. Heard you laugh and wondered who the fuck you are.” It didn’t feel like the right time to admit that the laugh had been so charming he decided to stay instead of running away. And that it was the reason he broke in here. He pulled up the only chair and sat down next to the bed.  
  
“Your name’s McCree, right? I heard the commander shout at you. I’m Genji. You’re not supposed to be here, are you? Dr. Ziegler doesn’t approve of… she says it’s too early for visitors.”  
  
“Genji, eh?” Still dumbfounded, Jesse listened as his new acquaintance chattered away. His voice was kept low but it was brimming with eagerness and excitement. “Yeah, name’s Jesse McCree, call me Jesse. This Dr. Ziegler.” He dragged the name, having trouble imitating the sharp sound of the beginning of the name. “Did she do that to you?”  
  
“Yes, but…” Genji fell silent. Unable to turn his head, he stared at the ceiling. Jesse waited, unsure if he was supposed to probe further.  
  
“Are you a prisoner?” he finally asked when the silence between beeping monitors and buzzing fans was becoming uncomfortable.  
  
“No. Well, I guess I can’t avoid talking about it.” Genji sighed, a sound that didn’t match his thrilled voice from just a moment ago. “I… had an accident. Almost died. The doctor replaced what was broken beyond mending and replaced it with cybernetic tissue and parts. It… didn’t go as smoothly as planned. My real body rejects the new. Instead of merging.”  
  
“Like an organ transplant gone wrong?” Jesse listened with growing amazement. Cybernetics, artificial bodies, that wasn’t his realm. He supposed these things were useful as they were better than classic prosthetics and they ended the shortage of donor organs. He knew a few folks from Deadlock, one of the leaders would have been doomed to a life in a wheelchair but instead, he was walking around on new machine legs as if they were his own.  
  
Creepy, but useful. A whole body, however? He had never heard of something like that. Then again, he had never cared much about things like that. The only science he needed were the physics of his gun.  
  
“In a way, yes, on a larger scale. She’s working on it. I… risked the progress of a month when I came down to watch you. The impact from taking the stairs was too much, left leg and lungs almost fully disconnected from the new parts. That’s why I have to stay like this for a few more days.”  
  
“Then why would you do that?! That’s crazy!”  
  
“Why? Do you have any idea how boring this is? I don’t even know how long I’ve been here. Months, half a year? A year? Only in the lab and then this room!” A temper suddenly flared up, the voice were ringing with anger and frustration. The artificial fingers twitched against their restraints. “No visitors allowed. Too risky. Because new kidneys refuse to clean m new blood. And even when, don’t think I don’t know what people are saying? I can hear them talk, asking the doctor how her monster is doing or whether I’m already dead. So, yes, I’d die for a little fun and company, and I mean it!”  
  
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Please calm down!” Jesse glanced at the monitors. Genji’s heart rate had increased and with it, the volume of the beeping sound. If they weren’t careful, Dr. Ziegler would rush in, trying to figure out what made her patient dying.  
  
“Can I get you something? A drink or so?” God knew he needed a good drink himself. This was a crazy story and he wasn’t sure yet where to place this doctor, whether she was one of the good or the bad guys. If this was supposed to be the rest of this guy’s life, being strapped to a bed because any abrupt movement could kill him… on the other hand, when he was talking he was pretty much alive.  
  
“No. But could you wipe the sweat off my face? It’s running into my eyes.” The words were barely more than a whisper, spoken by a young, sick man who had learned that his dignity meant nothing in the state he was in. Jesse nodded and got up. He picked a tissue from a box on the nearby table. Bending over Genji, he carefully dabbed tiny pearls of sweat away.  
  
He felt strange. Many scenarios had run through his mind since he had crossed the yard. He had seen himself, fleeing from monsters. Crazy caricatures of scientists were laughing while they hunted him with bone saws. Corpses, killers or maybe just a normal young man chatting with a normal woman, both startled when they spotted the intruder.  
  
Standing above a young man, half man half robot, who needed his help to wipe his face hadn’t been among his fantasies. Jesse avoided to look at his eyes, yet his cheeks were heating up under the gray gaze.  
  
“I used to be handsome, too,” Genji sighed when Jesse moved away and sat down again. “Hard to believe now, I know.”  
  
“It’s not so bad. Not looking well, but not ugly either,” Jesse mumbled. His back was crooked, his arms resting on his legs, his hands dangling uselessly between them.  
  
“I’m not fishing for compliments, Jesse,” Genji snapped in reply and sighed again. “But thank you. I appreciate it. That you didn’t run away, that is. I can’t tell how happy I am somebody is talking to me.”  
  
“How did you get down into the yard when you’re this frail?” Caught between pity and fascination, Jesse changed the conversation into a different direction. Back with the gang, he loved to work alone because at the end of the day - or a night - there were always other Deadlock members to return to, some of them he had called close friends. Well, as close as friends can be called who’d slit each other's throats if the leaders demanded it. That aside, they had been company. Bragging, chatter, laughing. Alcohol had been for the throat, not to disinfect walls. He failed to imagine himself in Genji’s place, lying here, isolated, for months. He’d have gone crazy before the first week would have been over.  
  
“Walked down,” Genji said as if it was as easy as it should be. “Dr. Ziegler had left my door open. I heard the commander shouting. And yells and laughter. I sneaked into the corridor to look out of the window. They were all chasing after you, it was funny! I had to get closer. Dr. Ziegler wasn’t very happy I got past her like that.”  
  
Jesse grinned. This sounded like something he’d have done if he had been in a similar situation. Also, he liked the mischief in Genji’s voice. He began to wonder what kind of guy Genji had been before his accident happened.  
  
“Where are you from? You don’t sound American or European.”  
  
“Japan. You’re American, right? I wonder how it’s there. I thought of leaving Europe once all this is over. I know the States only from books and TV.”  
  
Jesse frowned. There was something strange about how curtly Genji answered his question and hurried to change the topic. His questions and curiosity felt genuine, Jesse trusted his guts on that. But he might have found the mysterious, odd guy from the yard. It also was beginning to dawn him what was so different about his laughter that it made Jesse choose to be Reyes’ punching bag over living a free life as a drifter. It had been the laughter of a young man who hadn’t had anything to even smile about for a long time. Yet, there was more and Jesse wondered how many more secrets he had to uncover before he fully understood who this Genji really was. And had been.  
  
“You don’t like to talk about yourself, do you?”  
  
Genji’s chatter ended with another sigh.  
  
“There’s not much to talk about.”  
  
“You mean, much left? Uh…” Jesse bit his tongue. Damn him. Him and his tongue that was faster than his brain.  
  
“Hey, that was a good one! I’d punch you for it if I could, but it was good.” There it was again, this laugh. Clear and free and honest, coming from the heart as if it freed him. As Jesse heard it again, he knew Genji was nothing but human.  
  
“I’m sorry. Glad, though, you’re seeing the funny side.”  
  
“I rarely do.” The laughing stopped and what lingered was drowned in a sudden air of gloom as Genji’s voice shifted again from cheerful to hollow. “I hate this. All of this. This room, this body. Being alive, most of the time. It’s dull and depressing. I’m glad you’re here, Jesse. I wanted to talk with you since I saw you through the window. I believe if we met under different circumstances we’d have a lot in common.” He spoke with a warmth Jesse found difficult to bear. Technically, they were strangers, but as odd and irrational as life liked to be, a glance and a laugh had been enough to build a connection between them before they had the chance to exchange a word.  
  
“You know,” he began, raising again from his seat. Placing his warm hand on Genji’s cold one, he looked down at him with a grin. “Don’t ask me why, but I believe we do have a lot in common. Maybe even more than pissing off those in charge of us and regretting nothing.”  
  
“Thank you, Jesse.” Genji’s eyes were dangerously wide and wet.  
  
“Anything you want to talk about?” Jesse sat down on the edge of the bed. His guess what was going on in Genji’s head was vague at best but he’d have felt the same and he’d have hated to show it with tears. The grateful smile he received in return proved him right.  
  
“How is life in the other building? What are you doing there? Do you get along with the commander?” Judging from the smirk, Genji guessed the answer to the last question.  
  
“Hey, I’m playing ol’ Reyes like a fiddle! You saw me in the yard. Do you really think he ever gets the better of me?” He slapped his swelling chest, holding his chin high.  
  
“Is that American for him punishing you faster than you can retaliate?”  
  
“Semantic nonsense!” Jesse grinned, tipping his hat. “See this beauty? Wanna hear how shit went down when I went for breakfast with it on my head yesterday?”  
  
“Yes!” Genji shot back at once, his eyes glowing with delight.  
  
“Alright. Fist, you gotta know, that-”  
  
“Wait!” Suddenly, Genji’s face paled under the scars. His arms twitched, the straps holding them down when he wanted to raise a hand to interrupt Jesse. “The doctor. She sat up in her bed.”  
  
“How do you know that?” He remembered the last door he hadn’t checked. It led to the room next to this and was probably Dr. Ziegler’s private quarter. He, however, hadn’t heard anything, let alone such a specific movement.  
  
“I’ll explain next time. She’s getting up. Jesse, get out of here, now!” Genji was trembling, the monitor showed again an increased heart rate. He pressed against his restraint, as though he wanted to jump up and help Jesse hiding. He sunk back into the mattress. “I don’t want them to kick you out,” he pleaded and Jesse sensed his concern wasn’t just about Jesse’s well-being alone.  
  
“Okay.” He leaped from the bed, grabbed his boots and hastened towards the door. Before he opened it, he turned around. “Can I come back?”  
  
“Please. And please, don’t get caught!”  
  
“Caught? Me?!” He snorted, his fake amusement playing down the ache he felt when his new friend was forced to speak to the ceiling instead of looking at him. “I’ll come back as soon as I can.” With that promise, he switched off the light and sneaked out of the room. Quick and silent, he rushed down the corridor. He reached the stairway just in time - the second he closed the door behind him he heard another open, followed by light steps tip-tapping over the floor. He waited until he thought to hear faint voices talking, taking them as his cue to go downstairs and return to the main building.  
  
Luck was on his side. Nobody had noticed he was missing. The creaking of the wooden stairs made him feel at home. The warmth of wooden walls and floor welcomed him and while the rooms around him were silent, laughter and life still lingered. The other recruits had been waiting for him, eager to learn what he had been up to, if he had found anything interesting, if he even somehow managed to smuggle a benevolent lady inside the base for some sweet fun.  
  
“Something like that,” he dodged the questions with a stale smirk. What he had seen wasn’t something he could explain in a few words. Neither was he sure he wanted to. He threw his clothes down from his bunk bed, placed his hat next to his pillow and crawled under the cotton duvet.  
  
So he had found his phantom, the secret of the base. Its name was Genji, he had a heartbreaking laugh, sad gray eyes and was caught in a body that kept him alive while taunting him with death.  
  



End file.
